(This article was written in January.)
The NFL big game is quickly emerging, but the hottest topic in the NFL right now is determining who the Most Valuable Player in the NFL will be.
The NFL awards take place on February 5, 2026. As we approach, there are two obvious MVP candidates; quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford, and second year quarterback for the New England Patriots, Drake Maye. There are different arguments you can make for both quarterbacks relating to who might be the most deserving.
Let’s start with head-to-head stats. Matthew Stafford defeats Maye in passing yards and touchdowns. Stafford sits at 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns while Maye beats Stafford in completion rate, passer rating and rushing yards/rushing touchdowns. Maye also led his team to a 14-3 record and winning his division, meanwhile Stafford has led his squad to a 12-5 record. We cannot downplay Stafford though, because his division is better than Maye’s. Stafford plays in the hardest division in the league, and he has company with the 14-3 division winner, 1st seed, Seattle Seahawks and 12-5 San Francisco 49ers.
Another aspect of this debate is strength of schedule. Matthew Stafford and the Rams played 8 games against teams that are currently in the playoffs. They went 4-4 in those matchups. On the other hand, Drake Maye and the Patriots played 4 games against playoff teams and went 2-2. Now, obviously the Patriots can’t pick and choose who they get to play with so you can’t really blame them for who they’ve played. Although, the Patriots and Maye haven’t played tough opponents like the Rams have, which could be a factor in their success this year. Though, it’s hard to discredit a 14-3 record. Maye played similar opponents as Stafford did and had better stats. Both Stafford and Maye played the Panthers, Saints, Titans, Buccaneers, Ravens and Falcons. Maye went 6-0, with 1,595 yards and a 13 to 3 TD/INT ratio. Maye also had a better completion percentage and better EPA. Stafford went 4-2 in those games and had 1,545 yards, 14 touchdowns but had 6 interceptions, 67.2% completion and lower EPA.
The last argument I’m going to propose is a supporting cast. Stafford has a way better supporting cast than Maye. Stafford has Puka Nacua, which you can argue is the best wide receiver in football, Davante Adams, a high-end wide receiver two to play next to Nacua, and a top 10 running back in Kyren Willams. Not to mention his offensive line being the 4th best in the league according to, Pro Football Focus, also known as “PFF”.(https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-final-2025-nfl-offensive-line-rankings) On the other side of the stick, Drake Maye has had a terrific season with not so much. His wide receiver one is Stefon Diggs. Diggs had a great career with the Buffalo Bills but has slightly regressed and is nowhere near Puka Nacua’s level. Mayes other receivers are Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams. Both are mediocre players but can produce sometimes. He also has rising star running back in, TreVeyon Henderson. The offensive line just got left out of the top 10 but still landing at number 11.( https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-final-2025-nfl-offensive-line-rankings )
There are a lot of debates about who really is MVP. Some years it’s harder to decide and other years it’s not. This year is that hard year. The MVP will be decided within a month and until then, the debate will only get better.
Links for stats: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/matthew-stafford-drake-maye-stats-2025-nfl-mvp/7d08c7a3a0b6dbfc27839465 , https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other , https://www.theringer.com/2026/01/06/nfl/nfl-mvp-matthew-stafford-vs-drake-maye-debate
